Motor-vehicle.



PATENTED JULY 9, 1907. W. 0. PRICE.

MOTOR VEHICLE. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 12. 1900.

' T D STATES PA ENT. OFFICE.

WI LIAM 0. PRICE, oron loaeo, ILLINOIS, .As'sieNoR TO'WEBB '& PRICE Auronos -tn'oo,

" or OHIOAGOLILLINOISP t a v Moron-VEHICLE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application 518a March 12,1906.

To all whom it ma'y concern! I Be it known that I, WIImIAM G. Pmonfa citizen of the United States, and a resident ofthe city of, Chicago, in the county of Cook and State "of Illinois, have invented-certain new and useful Improvements in Motor-Vehicles; and I do hereby declare-gtliat the following'is a full, clear, and exact desrip'tion of the same, reference-being had to the accompanying" drawings, and to-tlic letters of reference marked -thereon, which form.

a part of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in motor vehicles and more particularly to a motor vehicle in which the motor is adjustably engaged upon the chassis. v

Heretofore in vehicles of that class where frictional transmission devices have been used it has usually been customary to adjust one of tho'fric tion members to and from the other, and in those instances where the driving member has been adjustable it has -been customary to rigidly support the motor upon the chassisand adjustably mount said friction member upon the engine shaft. Furthermore it is 'ofttimes desirable to employ a flexible driving connection between the transmission shaft and the rear axle and in such cases it has been'objectionable toadjust the driven transmission member to and from the driving member since such adjustment varies the tension of said connections.

The. object of thisinventionis to provide a motor vehicle in which the motor and the driving frictionmember are. adjustablymounted upon the chassis to vary the frictional contact of said member with thedriven member.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a motor vehicle having novel speed regulating and controlling means in which the parts may be quickly and easily adjusted to wear thus greatly economizing in power. I

It is a further object of the invention to provide. a vehicle. having a flexible drive from the transmission shaft to the axle and provided with means for adjusting the transmission members without interfering with said connections.

The invention consists in the matters hereinafter de scribed and more iully pointed out and defined in the appended claims, 4

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of the chassis of a vehicle embodying. my invention. Fig. 2

is a section taken .on line 2-2 of Fig. 1, with parts relarged fragmentary view of. the adjusting mechanism for theengine. frame.- Fig. 6 isan. enlarged detailed view of apart of the adjusting mechanism. Fig. 7 is t Patented July 9, 190m Serial No. 305,556.

, an enlarged sideLelvatiori of the adjustable bearing for the transmission shaft and, Fig. 8 is an enlarged,

fragmentary view of the means for shifting the driven friction member.

As'shown in said drawingsz A and A represent respectively the front and rear axles of the vehicle, the latter of which comprises a shaft a on which arerotatably engaged the elongated bearing sleeves aa to which the rear wheels at are rigidly engaged. Mounted on said sleeves o and a near the outer ends thereof are thebearing a? of any, desiredconstruction and secured thereon in any desired manner to permit the axle to rotate therein. Rigidly engaged on said bearings o are the supporting brackets o shown broken away in Fig. 3, whichyif preferred, may be springs or any other desired construction, and on which and on, like supporting members on the forward axle, not shown, is

other inwardly,thereby forming a bearing seat or guide-' way for the eception of the motor frame 0. Said 1110- tor frame, as shown, is constructed similarly to the frame B but is of less length and of a width to fit closely between the upturned flanges of said frame B. I

Rigidly mounted in-any desired manner upon the forward end of the motor frame C is the constant speed motor D, which may be of any preferred construction but as shown comprises an explosive engine and rigidly engaged 011 the rear end of said frame is the storage tank D for the explosive fluid for :said engine. Supply pipes d and d convey the explosive fluid to the inlet ports of said engine and connected with the exhaust ports of said engine are the exhaust pipes (I -d Means are provided for transmitting the power of the engine to the axle A comprising, as shown, a ti-ansvorso transmission shaft E journaled in adjustable bearing blocks ee slidabIy engaged in the bearing bmc'kcls a which are rigidly engaged on the under-side Ul'lllO frame members b.b as shown more clearly in Figs. 4

and 7 Set screws e e'- are engaged in the front and rear-sides of said bearing brackets and bear at their inner'ends against said sliding bearing blocks c'and rigidly hold the same in adjusted position. Slidably but non-rotatively mounted'upon said transmission.

shaft E is the driven friction mcmb'er,E"wl1ich-, as

shown, comprises a disk of any desired construction and material, and which is adapted to be driven by a similar friction member or disk E rigidly engaged upon the engine shaft (1 Engaging on either side of said driven friction member E are arms of'a yoke E which is proslidably engaged upon the guide shaft E which is parallel with the transmission shaft and rigidly engaged in 1 brackets a secured on the under side of theirame members b. As shown adjacent said guide shaft E and rearward thereof is a transverse bracket F of metal or other desired material which is provided with downturned ends f -f" by means of which it is rigidly en gaged to the frame members b by bolting, riveting or in any preferred manner. On the top of said bracket F and registering with an aperture therethrough, as shown more clearly in Fig. 5, is rigidly engagedan elongated bearing f in which is journaled the vertical, tubular worm shaft F which, as shown, is provided with an angular upper'end f adapted to "be engaged by. an operating handle or crank or any other desired instru ment for operating the same and with a peripheral iiangef adapted to bear upon the top of saidbearing f On the lower end of the tubular shaft F is provided a worm f 3 adapted to mesh with a worm gear f rigidly mounted upon a transverse shaft F 'which as shown is journaled in a suitable bracket f rigidly engaged upon the frame members b and extending upwardly therefrom on their inner sides. On the ends of said shaft F and above the side frame member 0 of the motor frame are pinions 5 each adapted to mesh with a rack bar f"f. rigidly engaged upon said side members cc and adapted whenthe worm-shaft is operated to move said motor frame longitudinally of the frame B thereby varying the frictional contact between the friction members E and E Means are provided for adjusting thedriven friction member E radially of the driving friction member 13*, comprising, as shown, a shaft G journalcd inand extending through the worm shaft F and which as shown is provided in its upper cnd withzthc editable angular socket g to receive airopcraling crank or handle as is usual in such dcviccs. On the lower end of the shaft'G below the worm f is rigidly engaged at grooved pulley 1 around which is wound an operating cord or cable G which extends therefrom transverse] y of the frame and is traincd on similar grooved pulleys g"g'-; journalcd on suitable stud shafts g on theundcr side of the frame nn-mln-rs b-b. The ends of said cord are directed inwardl y and engaged in a suitable stud or arm e on the root end of tho yokc E" and act when said shaft G is ioialcd to movc said yoke and the driven friction mcmbcr along the transmission shaft E dependent upon the dircclion of rotation of said shaft. Any suitable transmission may be provided between the transmission of! ii and thc axle A but as shown grooved pulleys are rigidly engaged on the ends thereof, on the oulcr sides of said frame members I). and on the sleeves n and 16- of said axle'A are rigidly engaged similar pulleys (I -o around which and .said pulleys e" are trained cnlrlcs' or bolts Ii which may be of any desired construction.

'lhc opcraiion is as follows: The vehicle may be previdcd with any suitable or usual steering mechanism which may be operated from the lever carried upon lhc side of the vehicle or in any other desired manner and inasmuch as tho motor frame is adjust-ably mounted upon llnvohiclc frame C it is obvious that when the worm slml'l'. F is rotatcd in onc dircction said motor [more will be moved for 'ardly, thereby bringing the friction member E out of contact withthe friction member-E, so that the motor may be started and'may continue in opemtionwithout transmitting its power to the axle'A. When however it is desired to transmit the power said axle it is only necessary to-op'erate the worm shaft in the opposite direction thereby moving the motor rearwardly and bringing the driving friction member E into contact with the driven friction member E. rate of speed of the vehicle is controlled by the shaft G and the shifting cable G which act to, 1nove the yoke E and the driven. friction member E. radially of the driving-frictionmember thereby increasing or diminishing the speed of the vehicle dependent upon the direction' of the adjustment of said driven friction member. I By means of the 1. In a .device of the class described the combination means for shifting the motor frame and Throwing the driv;

ing and driven members into and out of engagement a shaft engaged to the main frame, means slidable .thereon and engaging the driven member adapted to shift the same for different speeds and actuating means for said shift mechanism.

2. In a device of the class described the combination with a main frame of a motor frame slidably engaged therein, a motor on said motor frame and movable therewith. a driving friction member 'on the motor, a driven friction member on the main frame, means for adjusting he motor frame and motor longitudinally -of the main frame and means for adjusting the driven friction memher radially of the driving member.

In a device of the class described the with main frame of a motor frame slldably engaged thereon. a rack on said motor frame, a shaft journaled on combination the main frame .n pinion thereon adapted to. engage'said member radially of the virlving friction member.

4. In a device of the class'described the combination with a main frame of a longitud nally adjustable motor frame thereon, a bracket rigidly engaged on the main frame. a vertical shaft thereon, a transverse shaft journaled on the main frame, gears thereon, rack bars rigldiy engaged on the motor frame and meshing with said gears and coactlug gears on said shafts.

in a device of the class described the combination with a main framcof a motor frame slidably engaged thereon. a rack on the motor frame, a transverseshnft journaled on the main frame. a pinion thereon adapted to mesh witl1.sai(l'rack. a bracket on the main frame, a crank shaft journaled thereon, means on said crank shaft adapted to rotate said transverse shaft and means for shifting the driven friction member radially of the driving member. I

(i. In a device of the class described the combination with a main frame of a motor frame slidabiy engaged thereon, means or moving said motor frame longitudinally of the main frame, a motor on the motor frame. a driving friction disk thereon, a shaft. journaled on the main frame. a driven friction disk thereon, a yoke adapted to engage said disk,an operating shaft and a flexible connection between the same and said yoke adapted to move thereof of a frame supported on said axles, a transmission shaft adjustably engaged on said frame, a friction member slidably engaged thereon, means for adjusting said friction member longitudinally of said shaft, a motor frame on said frame, means for adjusting said motor frame longitudinally, a motor 0A5 said motor frame, a driving friction thereon and means operatively connecting said transmis:

'sion shaft with the rear axle.

S. In a vehicle of the class described the combination with the axles of a main frame carried thereon,'a motor frame adjustably supported on said main frame, a motor thereon, a driving speed transmission member on said motor, a transmission shaft adjustably engaged on the" main frame, a driven speed transmission member adjustabl'y engaged thereon, a shaft parallel with said transmission shaft, a yoke slidably engaged thereon and engaging said'driven member, an operating shaft and a cable connected therewith and with said yoke and acting to shift the driven member radially of the driving member.

9. In a device of the class described the combination with the axles of a main frame supported thereon,.a motor frame adjustably engaged on the main frame, a motor thereon, a driving friction member on said motor, a vertical shaft supported on the main frame, a cable operated by said shaft, a transmission shaft, a driven friction mem' ber slidably engaged thereon, a yoke engaged on said driven friction member and connected with said cable andv operative connections between said transmission shaft and the rear axle.

10. In a device of the class describedthe combination with a main frame of a motor frame slidahly engaged therein, a motor carried on'said motor frame, a driving friction disk on said motors, a transversely movable friction disk carried on the main frame, a yoke'thereon, an operating shaft, 3. cable connecting said shaft with said yoke and adapted to move the disk in either direction and l means for adjusting the motor frame to bring the friction disks into and out of engagement i 11. In a device of the class described the combination with a main frame of a motor frame slidably engaged thereon, a motor on the motor frame, a driving friction disk thereon, a transverse shaft on the main frame, a driven friction disk thereon, a guide rod, a yoke slidably engaged thereon and adapted to move the driven friction disk ra-. dialiy of the driving disk, an operating shaft, a pulley thereon, a pulley on each side of the main frame and a flexible connection between the pulley on said shaft and the yoke and passing around the pulleys on the main frame.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscri'ied'my name in the presence of two. subscribing witnesses.

, WILLIAM C. PRICE. Witnesses:

C. W. HiLLs,, WM. C. SMITH. 

